The Black Shade
by Creature Of The Nite
Summary: Mr. Moesby gave up his life as a crime fighter years ago. However, after Woody and Kirby are injured in a robbery on the ship, he decides that it's time for The Black Shade to return...
1. Chapter 1

The Black Shade…

/

The SS Tipton had been shaken by a violent attack. Someone had robbed the ship's vaults, where passengers kept the possessions that they didn't think were safe in their cabins; the vault was water-sealed, and retrievable if the ship sank. Most of the items in the vaults were of sentimental value, but there were the occasional riches. They had been stolen, but worse still, Kirby and Woody had been in the vault when the thief had been there, and the thief had been armed. The ship's surgeon and his two orderlies carried Woody and Kirby down to the medical bay; Zack, Cody, Bailey, London, Ms. Tutweiller, and Mr. Moesby watched as they were taken away.

"I can't believe this happened," Zack said

"It'll be OK," Cody said, "The surgeon will fix them up in no time. I've seen the man's work."

"But still…" Zack looked around, "I don't feel safe anymore."

Mr. Moesby looked at his watch.

"It's getting late," he noted, "Come, children, I'll walk you back to your cabins."

/

Later that night…

/

Ms. Tutweiller and Mr. Moesby sat in Moesby's living room, watching TV together. It was sort of a Friday night tradition for them, a quiet evening alone away from the kids and passengers. Ms. Tutweiller was engrossed in the film; it was a romantic comedy, one where a powerful successful woman tried to find a perfect husband. Moesby on the other hand, was in a state of deep thought. In a way, he was going over his life; his early years were a stark contrast to who he had become. Many people expected him to have gone to private schools, grown up in gated communities, and to have been a huge nerd at school. OK, the last one was somewhat true. But the thing was, Mr. Moesby had lived in a run-down community for most of his child and young adult years. The gangs ruled the block his family lived on…well, they used to.

/

When he was fourteen, Moesby was unpopular at school, and his home life wasn't great. He and his two friends who lived in his building read comic books together, and shared a mutual hatred of the gangs. Realizing the police weren't going to do anything, the three of them donned masks and fought the criminal element. Sam and Martin retired after they had pacified their street, but Moesby kept fighting, going to other gang-infested streets.

"Who knows where you can find a man!" the woman in the film exclaimed

"The Black Shade knows…" Moesby muttered

"What?" Ms. Tutweiller asked

"Nothing," Moesby smiled, "Just thinking back to my teen years."

Ms. Tutweiller thought for a moment.

"I can't really picture you as a teenager," she admitted

"I could show you, if you like…"

/

Moesby and Tutweiller walked to Moesby's closet; Moesby dug out a small suitcase.

"Don't go! I can change!" Ms. Tutweiller wailed

Moesby raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, every time a man takes out a suitcase…" Ms. Tutweiller muttered, "I feel like one of Pavlov's dogs."

Moesby opened the suitcase, and took out his old black overcoat. His father had left it when he…left. Also there was some comic books and a scrapbook.

"The Black Shade," Ms. Tutweiller read, "Is that a TV show, or…?"

She opened up the scrapbook, showing a newspaper clipping. It depicted a guy in a black overcoat, black scarf, and peaked hat standing over a bank robber.

"Wow," Ms. Tutweiller saw the guy's eyes, "Was that you?"

Moesby nodded.

"I was just thinking about it," he said, "It was something my friends and I did. Started out with us…"

He let out a laugh.

"…we escorted old ladies home safely," he continued, "Somehow it evolved into masks."

Moesby turned the page on his scrapbook, showing Ms. Tutweiller a picture of a guy wearing a red suit and tie with a domino mask.

"That's Sam Mahn," Moesby explained, "We called him 'Slam-Man', because of his punches."

He turned the page again, showing a guy wearing what appeared to be a motorcycle helmet and a green cape.

"Don't tell me…" Ms. Tutweiller said, "The masked rider."

"Close. The Riding Avenger," Moesby explained, "Martin Rainer. I think Martin's an accountant now."

"That is really amazing," Ms. Tutweiller said

Mr. Moesby yawned.

"Emma, I know how you like our date night, but I'm feeling kind of tired," Mr. Moesby said

"Oh, I don't mind," Ms. Tutweiller switched off the film, and took out the DVD, "My cats have wanted to see this movie for weeks."

/

Ms. Tutweiller left, leaving Mr. Moesby to his thoughts. He had seen a security guard and a student get attacked by the same kind of scum that had terrorized his neighborhood as a boy. He knew criminals; like lightning, they struck more than once. Moesby picked up the overcoat. Then put it back down. Then he picked it back up. He groaned loudly.

"What am I thinking?" he asked aloud, "I gave that life up long ago."

Moesby thought back to the day he had gotten his scholarship to the Tipton hotel school; he knew he couldn't live in high society and maintain The Black Shade. So, he gave it up, believing it to be for the best.

"No…yes…no…yes…no…" Mr. Moesby was caught in an internal conflict

/

The vault thief had not shown up the next day, but some people had been inspired by him. A man stood outside London and Bailey's room, attempting to hack the key-card lock. He had professional tools; as a matter of fact, he was on the ship so he could get away from a major bank-hacking job he had done in Monte Carlo. A quick stealing spree in London Tipton's room would pay for his girlfriend's her new car.

"Almost there…" he muttered

The light on the door turned green; he had done it.

"Jose Ibanez…" came a stern growl

Jose turned around, and faced a man behind him in a black overcoat. Well, that wasn't how Jose saw it. All he could see was a mass of blackness with a peaked hat and black piercing eyes. Jose panicked, and reached to his holster for a gun. But there wasn't a gun there.

"Looking for this?" The Black Shade asked

He smacked Jose's face with the gun he had swiped from the holster. Then he lifted up his cape, enveloping Jose in the darkness…

/

Officer Bates watched with his eyes wide open as The Black Shade strolled into his office, holding a terrified criminal.

"Sir, I caught this man attempting to break into the compartment shared by London Tipton and Bailey Picket…" The Black Shade spoke with a deep, throaty voice

"Is this the same man that attacked that kid and my lieutenant?" Bates asked, picking up the phone

Bates dialed the number for Interpol; he would need to get the guy air lifted off the ship as soon as possible.

"Afraid not," The Black Shade said, "He's a copycat criminal. If I see any more, I'll bring them to you."

The Black Shade turned around, and walked out of the room.

"Wait!" Officer Bates called, "Who are you?"

"A hero of justice, much like yourself…"

/


	2. Chapter 2

/

/

The next week was filled with news of The Black Shade. Not only had he prevented two more robberies, but he had also outed a band of travelling criminals, plus he had saved the life of a woman who almost fell overboard. Even the kids were talking about The Black Shade.

"I hear he's an escaped experiment," Zack said, "A living being made of black smoke."

"That's ridiculous," Bailey said, "Everyone knows that he's really a man who gained superpowers after beating the dark lord in a fiddle-playing competition."

"I hear he's just a normal guy who confuses people using dark clothing and fast reflexes," London said

Everyone stared at her. Cody buried his face in his palm.

"You're lucky you were born into money," Bailey noted

"If you listen very carefully, you can hear her IQ dropping," Zack muttered

"So how about that football game?" Woody asked, "My arm's feeling a lot better now."

/

Zack, Cody, and Kirby stood huddled up at the far end of the Sky Deck. Bailey, London, and Woody were huddled at another.

"OK, guys, this is your standard Statue of Liberty play," Zack explained, "Cody, you intercept Woody, and I'll throw the ball to Kirby."

"What ball?" Cody asked, "You're holding a rock!"

"Mr. Moesby confiscated my football!" Zack protested

"In his defense, it is a regulation rock," Kirby reminded

Zack and Cody exchanged looks; it was a look that said "don't ask".

"Look, if it will make you feel better…" Zack reached for a paper bag, and dropped the rock in it, "There. Safe as a house."

Cody sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win the argument any time soon.

"OK. Hut!"

/

Cody ran over to Woody, but just as Zack was going to throw the 'ball', Bailey and London surrounded Kirby.

"Throw it to me!" Cody yelled

Zack hurled the rock in Cody's direction, but his aiming was off; the rock flew right at Woody, bouncing off his head, and smashing through a porthole. Woody fell to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, are you alright?" Cody asked

"Uh…" Woody groaned

At once, Zack, Cody, Bailey, London, and Kirby crowded around Woody. Everyone called out his name, asking if he was OK, but Woody couldn't understand them.

"Woody!" Zack groaned, "OK, Rat-Man!"

Rat-man…Woody thought, of course, that's right, I'm Rat-Man, here to free this floating metropolis from the wrath of criminals. He pulled himself up.

"Buddy, are you OK?" Zack asked

"Fine, good citizen," Woody spoke in a smoother, baritone voice, "And how are you this fine day?"

/

SS Tipton, night-time…

/

Rat-Man stood on top of the Sky-Deck, next to the searchlight that was beaming out the shape of a rat's face into the sky. He was standing there in his rat mask, a grey suit, red cape, and a yellow belt containing his crime fighting gadgets. His face was covered by his rat-shaped cowl, on his chest was the rat-symbol, identical to the one that was on the searchlight.

"Hello, Rat-Man," came a voice

Rat-Man turned around, seeing a man in a trench coat and fedora hat. It was Inspector Cody of the SS Tipton Junior Police Department. He had joined after he heard Bailey liked crime fighters. Kirby stood behind him.

"Inspector, Detective," Rat-Man nodded, "Why did you turn on the rat signal?"

"I thought you turned it on?" Cody asked, chewing a candy cigarette (it matched his film-noir look)

"I don't have time to argue," Rat-Man said, "I need to know what crimes are a-brewing in our fair city."

"We're on a boat," Cody reminded

"So, you're one of them!" Rat-Man exclaimed, "I'm onto you! You crooked cops won't run Gotham forever!"

"Gotham?"

Rat-Man threw his Rat-A-Rang at the higher tower, and swung away.

/

The Malenfant brothers were on break from their private school; they were nice kids, but got into a lot of trouble because of their curiosity. At that moment they were playing around with the wires of the ship's navigation, unintentionally steering the ship into an iceberg. The Black Shade had noticed this, and was on his way to stop them. Unfortunately, by the time he was there, the kids were gone, and he had almost no idea how to fix the system.

"OK…emergency stop," The Black Shade searched for it, "Uh huh. I just need to cut that wire…but I need something sharp…"

The Black Shade searched himself; he couldn't find anything sharp enough to cut the thick wire.

"Allow me…" came a voice

Rat-Man slid past The Black Shade, and slipped a pair of metal teeth into his mouth. He bit the emergency stop release-wire, just in time. The ship slowed to a halt a few meters short of the iceberg.

"Good work kid," The Black Shade said, "It's Rat-Man, isn't it?"

"Yes sir," Rat-Man shook his hand, "I hope to be seeing a lot of you around here."

/

Later, Rat-Man returned to his Rat-Cave; it was a dark room, filled with memorabilia from his crime fighting. There was the Anterian hypnosis coin, the jaws of the sea monster that had attacked the ship, and even wheel of the lab rat that had inspired his creation. There was also the Rat-Computer, and the collection of Rat-weapons.

"Yet another innocent passenger protected," Rat-Man paced around, "But how can I continue…"

There was a knock at the door.

"Woody? Why did you lock this door?" Cody asked

"Sorry!" Woody yelled, "Be out in a minute!"

/

Mr. Moesby stood in his room, going over his coat with a lint roller. It would seem like a preppy thing to do, but it actually helped him blend in with the darkness.

"The Black Shade, protector of society," Moesby muttered, "Continuing his sea-bound quest to rid the world of the criminal element…"

There was a knock at the door. Quickly, Moesby hid his coat in his closet, behind a false wall panel. He then opened the door, revealing Ms. Tutweiller.

"Hello, Marion," she said, quietly, "Can I come in?"

"Of course, Emma," Mr. Moesby spoke in his urbane vernacular, "Can I get you a coffee?"

"No thanks," Ms. Tutweiller said, "I can't stay too long. I just wanted to tell you that I can't make our date tonight. I've got a lot of papers to grade."

"Oh," Mr. Moesby nodded, "OK. I'll cancel our reservation at the Starlight Club."

"Why don't you go without me?" Ms. Tutweiller suggested, "I hear they've got a new singer performing tonight, she's really good."

"OK," Moesby nodded, "I could go, have some Marion-time."

"Super."

/

London and Bailey were in the ship's gym, doing some training. They both stood on blue fighting mats in white robes, sparring with each other. Bailey was teaching London some new moves.

"What's this called again?" London asked

"Farm Fu," Bailey said, "It's a kind of martial art invented in Kettle Corn. Come on, try and attack me."

London tried to grab Bailey with the standard Muay Tipton attack her parents had developed; it failed, and London was pinned down on the ground by Bailey.

"OK, your attack is good," Bailey said, "But too aggressive. You need to slow down, notice what's going on around you."

London nodded. She could be a pretty good student if she wanted to.

/


	3. Chapter 3

/

/

Moesby sat in the Starlight Lounge, drinking an ice tea out of a whiskey glass. He wanted to be sober in case the Black Shade was needed, but at the same time wanted to seem like a regular guy. He had gotten the idea from one of his old comic books. The opening act was up, a comedian named Eddie. Or was it Blake?

"And then Dan said, 'what happened to the American dream?' And I tell him, 'What happened to it? It came true!'"

Everyone laughed. Mr. Moesby let out a chuckle.

"Thank you, everyone," the comedian said, "I've been great!"

The comedian walked offstage, just as the lighting changed to red, and smoke filled the stage. When it cleared, there were six dancers onstage, clad in red sequined costumes.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" the MC said, "Tonight's performance is brought to you from the fiery pits of hell…"

The band started playing upbeat music, and the dancers separated, revealing a redhead in a silver leotard and angel wings. Even with the domino mask on, Moesby recognized her as Ms. Tutweiller.

"Good Lord, Emma," grinned Moesby

"I'm a country girl, I ain't seen a lot," Ms. Tutweiller sang, "but you came along and my heart went pop. You took a little street car to my heart and an apple of love fell off my apple cart! You looked at me, my heart began to pound, you weren't the sort of guy I thought would stick around! Hey, but it don't have to be eternally, my bad, bad Angel put the Devil in me!"

/

After the show, Moesby went to see Ms. Tutweiller in her dressing room. The other girls didn't mind him being there, they knew he was a gentleman. Ms. Tutweiller was changing her clothes behind a screen; Moesby got a kick out of watching her silhouette getting undressed.

"Hello, Marion," Ms. Tutweiller said, "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I did," Moesby said, "I didn't know you could sing."

"I've been taking lessons," Ms. Tutweiller slipped off her wings, and stuck her head above the screen, "Lounge singer is a more suiting profession for the girlfriend of a…"

She mimed The Black Shade's scarf.

"Of course," Moesby said, "By the way, that line about the…"

Suddenly, Moesby's watch began bleeping.

"Excuse me…" he said mysteriously

/

In the Tipton ballroom, there were three chandeliers containing hidden diamonds. Rumor has it, there were worth a million dollars each. For this reason, the ballroom was locked at night.

/

Janine Snauf had worked many jobs before becoming the ship's public relations advisers. With a name like hers, she wasn't allowed to have a normal life. She had been a jewel thief, for example. After going straight, she took the public relations position to stay out of trouble, but then she heard the rumors of the diamonds. For this reason, she was now standing outside the ballroom, picking the lock in a black leotard and Devil-mask. It took Snauf three minutes to get through, since she was out of practice. Once inside, she slipped through the laser-grid, and made it to the chandelier controls. They lowered down to the ground. Snauf walked to the chandelier, and plucked the three diamonds from each them.

"Nice try," said an echoing voice, "Put them back…"

Oh no, Janine Snauf groaned, not now.

At once, The Black Shade revealed himself, rappelling down from the ceiling. He held up his hands in a karate stance. Janine Snauf pulled out a .38 Police Special. Moesby calculated the distance between him and the Devil-Woman, and saw how nervous she was; even The Black Shade couldn't move that fast.

"OK, calm down Devil-Woman," The Black Shade said, "We can talk about this…"

She nervously fired a shot, and hit The Black Shade in the arm. He fell onto the ground, at the Devil-Woman's mercy…

/

Suddenly, the ballroom doors flung open, and revealed a teenager in a blue suit. His face was disguised by a black domino mask, and his chest and arms appeared to be wrapped in wires.

"Don't fire!" he warned

"Or what?" sneered Devil-Woman

She fired a bullet, and would have killed The Black Shade if it wasn't for the teenager lifting up his hand, revealing a powerful magnetic manipulator. He shot the bullet across the room.

"Drop the diamonds and am-scray," the teenager ordered, "And don't let me catch you around here again…"

/

The teenager helped The Black Shade get to his feet.

"Thanks kid," he muttered, "You got a name?"

The teenager thought for a moment.

"Chick Magnet," he replied

"I thought it was you, Zack," The Black Shade noted

"Darn, thought that would give it away," Zack said, "Can I help you get back to your…cabin?"

"Not just yet," The Black Shade groaned, "I have a place I store my equipment. If you could take me there, I would be grateful."

/

Chick Magnet helped The Black Shade down to the lower levels of the ship, to a disused boiler room. The Black Shade opened the door by way of a special key. Inside, the walls were lined with The Black Shade memorabilia. Newspaper clippings, trophies, crime files…Chick Magnet was overwhelmed.

"Wow…" he breathed, "Black Shade, what are you? Some people say you're a thousand-year old Chinese warrior come back to haunt evildoers, but a lot of people are saying that you were a keyboardist in a 80s band who watched his family die and became more than human."

"It's neither," The Black Shade sat on a chair, "I was a kid in a bad neighborhood who used fear to get rid of gangs. I grew up and became a manager of a hotel then a manager of a cruise ship, and found out I was needed as The Black Shade when criminals attacked those close to me."

Chick Magnet let out a small laugh.

"Sorry," he said, "But that sounds just like that jerk Mr. Moes…"

The Black Shade pulled down his scarf, revealing the face of Mr. Moesby.

"Wow!" Chick Magnet gasped

"Yes, Zack, I am The Black Shade," Mr. Moesby said, "I trust you will keep it a secret?"

"Of course," Chick Magnet nodded, "So, just so I know, you don't have any powers, right?"

"No, 'fraid not," Mr. Moesby said, "But I'd like to know what you're using."

"It's a simple magnetic manipulator. I was on the phone with Arwin last week, telling him I was afraid of another attack, and he told me how to build this."

"And how powerful is it?"

"Not very. It can divert bullets and knives, but if it's anything bigger than a candy bar it'll probably short out."

"I see. Now, Zack, if you and I are going to continue fighting crime, you have to understand…"

Zack silently groaned. He knew what Mr. Moesby was going to say, a lecture on how since they were working together Zack would have to shape up, start getting up earlier, do better in school, no more pranks…

"…things are going to be the same between us," Mr. Moesby said

"Huh?" Zack didn't expect that

"People will suspect something if you start respecting me," Mr. Moesby continued, "You'll treat The Black Shade and Marion Moesby as different people. So, pranks, insults, and hurtful nicknames will continue."

"I can do that," Zack said

"But I have one rule. No guns. Understand?"

"Yes sir,"

Zack was surprised. Why did he call Mr. Moesby sir? It was almost as if he…respected him.

"Excellent. Good boy."

"So…the way you say 'Marion Moesby and The Black Shade', it's kind of surreal, a bit scary."

"There's nothing mystical about it, Zack," Mr. Moesby shrugged, "It's just like keeping business and personal life separate."

"Oh, I see."

Mr. Moesby hung up his over coat, revealing his white t-shirt.

"Wait, didn't you get shot?" Zack asked

Mr. Moesby's eyes darkened.

"The Black Shade did," he said mysteriously, "Marion Moesby did not…"

/


	4. Chapter 4

Zack was working at the smoothie bar, on a slow business day. Mr. Moesby came up to Zack, as his usual self: white shorts, red jacket, silk shirt, hankie in breast pocket.

"Zack, one Blueberry Bonanza please," he said

"Coming right up," Zack said

Zack threw a handful of blueberries, yoghurt, whipped cream, and ice into a blender, and switched it on. Sneakily, Zack dropped a cherry bomb in it, disguised as a blueberry. He then poured the drink, and handed it to Moesby.

"Thank you," Moesby said, "And, for not pulling any tomfoolery, a tip."

Moesby handed him four dollars; the smoothie was only two.

"Thanks," Zack pocketed the money

"Ah! That was a test," Moesby said, taking back one dollar, "Official smoothie bar rules dictate that all bills must be checked for authenticity."

The smoothie blew up in Mr. Moesby's face at the right minute. Moesby gave Zack his signature growl, but then winked at him. Zack winked back. As soon as Mr. Moesby was gone, Zack checked the bills for authenticity by holding them up to the sunlight. The first one had a message on it.

/

_CM,_

_/_

_I hope you discovered this message. Tonight, I am heading out on shore leave to try and do some local crime fighting. I would appreciate having you as backup. Place this bill in your wallet if you will come with me._

_-TBS_

/

Zack slipped the bill into his wallet. It was a good thing it was empty because the bill suddenly burst into flames, self-destructing. He checked the next two bills for messages: number two contained a message saying 'use the third one for equipment', and the next one contained a small flap that Zack peeled back, revealing a $100 bill.

"Sweet…" he muttered

/

On his way to judge the shuffleboard tournament, Moesby passed by the ship's public relations advisor, Janine Snauf. Every time he saw her, he always thought he recognized her. It would seem like he would easily remember who she was, with her clear skin and blonde hair. But he just couldn't figure it out…

/

That night…

/

Zack managed to sneak off the ship through the automobile entrance; his magnetic manipulator was perfect for picking locks. No sooner had he stepped onto the docks had The Black Shade revealed himself. He sat on a crate, maneuvering one of his ninja stars in his hand.

"That's a pretty good trick, Black Shade," Zack said

The Black Shade looked up.

"Yes, very good for manual dexterity," The Black Shade said, "Now, I've drawn out a route for us, targeting the crime heavy zones."

Zack was amazed how clear Mr. Moesby sounded through the black scarf.

"OK," Zack nodded

"Did you get some good equipment with that money I gave you?"

"Oh yeah," Zack lifted up his shirt, revealing a bullet-proof vest, "I bought it off Kirby."

"Excellent," The Black Shade said, "So, shall we get going…?"

/

The Black Shade and Chick Magnet strolled through the streets, seeing a family being mugged. Chick Magnet wanted to get the mugger immediately, but The Black Shade held him back.

"Hold back the bullets," The Black Shade ordered, "But we won't engage the mugger in combat until the family is a safe distance away."

"OK," Chick Magnet spread out his arms, aiming a magnetic beam at the gun

"Excellent. Now, he's got their wallets and jewelry, he's pocketing them, running away…"

Chick Magnet aimed his manipulator at a fire escape, sending it slamming down onto the mugger. He fell to the ground, in a daze.

/

The Black Shade returned the stolen goods to the family, and left with Chick Magnet.

"We'll take to the rooftops for the next part," The Black Shade said, "I have an idea of what you can do with your manipulator."

The two of them climbed up the very fire escape that had apprehended the mugger, and they began running over the roof. They came to the ledge.

"Now, Chick Magnet, I want you to aim your manipulator at that street lamp," The Black Shade explained, "If my calculations are correct, you should be able to swing from one side to the next."

"But I've never done anything that big before," Zack protested, "I don't think the machine can handle it."

"True," The Black Shade said, "But…"

He reached to Zack's chest piece, and pulled out the six AA batteries that were in it. In a swift, fluid motion, he replaced it with a glowing metal orb.

"What is that?" gasped Zack

"It's a military grade lithium battery," The Black Shade said, "I found it in the lost and found."

/

With The Black Shade's encouragement, Chick Magnet aimed his manipulator at the lamppost, and managed to, albeit clumsily, swing to the other building.

"How are you going to get across?" Chick Magnet asked

The Black Shade hurled a grappling hook across to the rooftop Chick Magnet was on. The next moment was the most thrilling thing he had ever seen. The Black Shade then yanked the rope, and pulled himself across; he jumped up into the air, leaping from roof-to-roof, kicking on the lampposts to give himself some momentum. The way his overcoat flared in the wind was incredible, like a flag in a wind tunnel. The Black Shade touched down on the roof, his shoes making a loud stomp as they hit the tarmac. He then wound in his ropes, completing the awesome move.

"Wow," breathed Chick Magnet

"Moving on…" The Black Shade said

/

The two of them magnet-swung and grapple-hooked to their destination: Irving's Grocery store. It was a little hole-in-the-wall joint that was family owned.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Chick Magnet asked

"The Black Shade is never wrong…" he said

/

The two of them climbed down the building, and entered the shop. An elderly Jewish man was being harassed by two guys in snazzy suits.

"Hey, look gramps," one of the guys said, "It's simple. Half your profits in exchange for protection."

"Who are you guys?" Irving asked, looking at The Black Shade

"Justice…" growled The Black Shade

He lashed out at the first guy with a throat punch, just as Zack magnetized their guns, rendering them useless. One guy tried to get Zack; Zack threw a switch on his wrist-controller, creating localized magnetic field disruption. The guys couldn't tell up from down.

"Alright, you tell me who you're working for," The Black Shade growled

"I ain't telling you anything!" the guy said

"Zack, activate the brain scan," The Black Shade ordered

Zack pretended to push buttons on his manipulator controller. All the metal objects in the room began to vibrate slightly. It was a trick that they had talked about earlier.

"OK I'll talk! I'll talk!" one of the snazzy-suit-criminals said, "I'm working for Jake the Snake!"

"Jake the Snake?" The Black Shade raised an eyebrow, "The supposed son of Sid the Squid?"

"Yeah!"

"What's he doing in Atlantic City?"

Before Moesby could get an answer, Irving reached behind the counter, and fired a shot into the air; the criminals ran away.

"What was that?" The Black Shade said, frustrated

"Look guys, I appreciate you helping me out," Irving said, "But I'd rather have a fifty-percent profit loss than get involved with the mob."

"But…" The Black Shade was furious, "It doesn't have to be this way!"

"Look, buddy, I appreciate the help, but I really don't want any mob involvement in my store."

/

The Black Shade and Chick Magnet returned to the ship, their mission far from complete.

"At least we saved that guy," Chick Magnet said

"That's true," The Black Shade said, "But we've got a lot to do. Incidentally, good for catching on with the brain scan routine."

"Oh yeah, Marcus and I did almost the exact same thing when we convinced Woody that it was no-trousers day at school."

/

Ms. Tutweiller sat in her dressing room, getting ready for her Starlight Lounge gig. She stood in front of the mirror, admiring the white dress she was wearing for the show. It felt nice to wear a dress, instead of some tight-strapless-legsy-high-cut thing. To maintain her integrity as a teacher, she wore a black domino mask.

"Now where did I put the manager's diamond necklace?" Ms. Tutweiller muttered

Ms. Tutweiller was already wearing a diamond bracelet, a diamond anklet, diamond earrings, and there were even a few diamonds embedded in her belt, which made sense because the song she was singing was 'diamonds are forever'.

"Emma Tutweiller?" came a voice

"Yes?"

Ms. Tutweiller turned around, and saw a woman wearing a devil mask. In her hand was a silver revolver.

"This is a thirty-eight police special," the Devil-Woman said, "One of the most reliable guns in the world. Don't try anything silly."

Thirty-eight police special, Ms. Tutweiller thought, didn't Marion say something about that?

/

Devil-Woman took the diamonds, stripped Ms. Tutweiller to her underwear, and then rigged up an elaborate trap involving Ms. Tutweiller standing on a table in handcuffs, with a rope tied around her neck and the ceiling fan. If she tried to get off the table, she would be choked to death.

"Now then," Devil-Woman placed a piece of tape around Ms. Tutweiller's mouth, "This should give me just enough time to cover my tracks before someone finds you."

/

Devil-Woman walked out. Ms. Tutweiller attempted to move the table with her feet, gently pushing it closer to the phone. If she got close enough to it, she could dial the alarm number. Ms. Tutweiller got just close enough, but then accidentally knocked over a bottle of water, which poured into an electric socket, which started a fire. The entire carpet in the room was soon ablaze…

/

To be continued next week, same Black Shade-Time, same Black Shade-Channel…


	5. Chapter 5

/

Suddenly, the door to Ms. Tutweiller's dressing room opened, revealing London Tipton. She was wearing what appeared to be a schoolgirl uniform and a utility belt. To hide her identity, she had on a bald cap. London took out a spray can out from her belt, and used it to extinguish a small path in the fire.

"Quick!" London tossed a ninja star at the rope, slicing it in half, "Come on, Mrs. T, you can make it."

Ms. Tutweiller hastily walked through the non-flaming patch of the ground, and to the exit. Once she was safe, London took out a Kel-Tec .32 auto pistol, and fired a shot right next to the ceiling fan. The bullet burst a water pipe, putting out the fire.

/

The Black Shade arrived soon, along with Inspector Cody and Chick Magnet.

"Ms. Tutweiller, it's important you tell us everything you know about the thief," Inspector Cody said

"Well, she was about my height," Ms. Tutweiller began, "She spoke with a slight German accent, and even though she was wearing a mask, I could see she was blonde…"

"Hold on, what kind of mask was it?" The Black Shade asked

"Um…it was sort of like The Devil."

"The Devil-Woman!"

"You know her?" Ms. Tutweiller asked

"I can't believe she got away…"

"I'm sorry, I should have tried harder to stop her," London admitted

"It's OK, you did the best you could. Who are you, by the way?"

The Black Shade pretended he couldn't recognize the girl he'd practically raised from birth.

"I…haven't picked a name yet," London replied

"Hurm…" The Black Shade thought, "What should we call her?"

"Smart Girl would suit her," Ms. Tutweiller suggested, "You look like you have a large brain."

"I could go for that," London said

Ms. Tutweiller yawned.

"I'd like to get back to my cabin," she said, "Shade, could you walk me…?"

"Help!" came a yell

/

The four crime fighters and Ms. Tutweiller ran to the yell. To their surprise, Rat-Man was attempting to restrain Devil-Woman.

"Could someone do something about her?" Rat-Man grunted, "I can't hit a girl!"

Smart Girl and Ms. Tutweiller strode forward, and gave The Devil Woman a powerful punch each. She fell to the ground. The Black Shade wasted no time in tearing off her mask.

"Janine Snauf, the ship's public relations advisor," Ms. Tutweiller announced

"Wait a minute…" The Black Shade looked closer, "Inspector Cody, give me a Sharpie."

The Black Shade placed a big dot on a small nick on Snauf's face, one that looked like a mole.

"Ilsa!" The Black Shade growled

"Her?" Smart Girl, Chick Magnet, and Inspector Cody asked

"Who?" Ms. Tutweiller and Rat-Man asked

"She tried to fire Mr. Moesby, back in Boston," Chick Magnet explained

"And she tried to shut down The Tipton," Inspector Cody added

"And she wouldn't let…London date her step-son," Smart Girl said

"And I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!" Ilsa groaned, attempting to get up

Chick Magnet restrained her with a magnetic blast to her necklace.

"I'll get Kirby," Inspector Cody said quickly

/

Ilsa was arrested, thrown in the brig, and Interpol was called. She would be tried for her crimes; Ilsa would get her just desserts yet.

"Well then," The Black Shade said, "I guess that's it. We've done our job."

"The job of a crusader of justice is never over," Chick Magnet reminded, "We'll be docked her for another two days; lots of crime-bashing to do."

"And next week we'll be in Mexico," Smart Girl added, "I've always wanted to bust drug traffickers."

"Then Honduras," Rat-Man noted, "We can help with the relief effort."

"While we're between countries, we could make webcasts," Inspector Cody theorized, "Tell people who we are."

"I wouldn't want them thinking we're like that crazy bat-guy in Gotham City," Rat-Man said

They ignored Rat-Man's pop culture reference.

"You guys will need a name," Ms. Tutweiller said, "Something that tells people who you are."

"How about the Teen Titans?" Inspector Cody suggested

"That's taken," Rat-Man said

"Oh yeah, that's right. How about 'Underground Justice'?"

"Taken."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, they're the version of the Legion of Doom from the Mirror Universe."

"I thought Mirror Universe was Star Trek."

"Well you can still say…"

"How about The Ocean Force Five?" Ms. Tutweiller interrupted, "There are five of you, you're a force, and you travel the ocean."

No complaints.

"That's pretty good, Ms. T.," Smart Girl said

"Thanks. I thought of it in the shower this morning. Now, don't you kids have homework?"

"Crime fighters don't have homework," Rat-Man said

"Then they don't get to be on the team," The Black Shade growled

"Oh man…"

/

The next day, Moesby went to see Ms. Tutweiller sing 'Diamonds are Forever' at the Starlight Lounge. This time, she used fake diamonds. Zack went with him, as Moesby's guest. The two of them now had a more mutual friendship; almost like father and son.

/

London and Rat-Man were doing some training in the ship's gym. Smart Girl had taken a liking to him; Woody was more pleasant after the brick to his head.

"OK, Ms. Tipton, I should warn you I've got a powerful left hook," Woody said, speaking in his smooth baritone voice, "Although I have complete faith in your abilities, I still feel I should still warn you."

"Thank you, Woody."

Woody attempted to hit London, and she blocked it, as usual.

"Say, after this, can I buy you a smoothie?" Woody asked

"I'd like that."

/

Inspector Cody walked along the sky deck with Bailey that night.

"I can't believe you quit the Junior Police Force," Bailey admitted, "It's so…rebellious."

"Look babe," Cody took out a candy cigarette, "I couldn't work within the system. They were too easy on criminals."

"Wow…" Bailey was in awe

"Plus they stopped offering it as an extracurricular activity…" Cody mumbled

/

Somewhere out there, in the streets of Atlantic City, one of the gangsters from Irving's store was trying the same dirty trick in a small casino.

"Sir, I can't pay you fifty percent of my profits," the manager attempted, "The least I can give you is…"

The gangster held up a baseball bat threateningly.

"The least you'll do is fifty percent, unless you want me to smash up the place."

"Excuse me, I'd like ten dollars in chips," someone said

The gangster groaned.

"Can't you see we're in the middle of something?" he growled, "Listen you…"

He turned around, and gasped, seeing The Black Shade behind him. The gangster got lost in the sheer blackness of The Black Shade.

"You dropped this," The Black Shade said, holding up the gangster's gun, "Here, let me return it. Into your head!"

The Black Shade smacked the gangster's cranium, downing him.

"Thank you!" the casino manager said, "If there's anything I can do…"

"Like I said, ten dollars in chips…"

/

/

/

The End. For now.


End file.
